


Under the Yew

by notegarden



Category: Fate/Grand Order
Genre: Adult Content, Archer - Freeform, Attempt at Romance, F/M, Fate/Grand Order - Freeform, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms References, Female Protagonist, Fluff, Heroic Spirit, Rating change from Mature to Explicit, Ratings may change, Suggestive Themes, Warnings May Change, lots of supporting characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-07-07 21:22:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19858219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notegarden/pseuds/notegarden
Summary: Since Ritsuka arrived at Chaldea, she's met many different servants and formed a variety of different bonds with them. Some were summoned, others came and went with the rayshifts... She didn't think it would be fair to play favourites but something seemed special about the green-cloaked Archer.





	1. Consideration

**Author's Note:**

> How should I describe this... These chapters will usually be semi-continuous with one another, meaning that the chapters are created along a progressive timeline and I will probably make some reference to an event that happened in an earlier chapter as the story unfolds. However, I do also aim to make each chapter enjoyable as a standalone.
> 
> In short: Think of these chapters like numerous one-shots within the same timeline and universe. You are free to read them in order, cherry-pick, backwards, or back and forth as you please. A collection of Robin Hood x Ritsuka (Female - Also commonly known as Gudako).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #### One of the first memories that lingered...
> 
> Scene Involves: Very minor fluff, mostly build up for the future. Nothing delicious or dirty just yet.

"C-Cold..!!!"

As soon as Ritsuka opened the door, she had to brace herself against freezing winds that pelted bits of ice and snow against her. Though she and Mash regularly enjoyed watching the snowfall with cups of warm cocoa in their hands, it was easy to forget just how unforgiving the low temperature was when there weren't any protective walls or heating coming in from vents.

Still, she took in a deep breath and stepped out onto the observation deck. Or rather, what would have been treated like an observation deck if they were in a warmer location. Most sane individuals preferred the enjoy the beauty sights of the Antarctic inside, if at all. 

_-BANG!!!!!!-_

Ritsuka turned to see the metal door slam open and flatten itself against the outer wall. She only needed a few inches to step through herself, but the wind had forced the exit wide open. With a sigh, she grabbed the handles and tugged them with all her might, trying to get it closed... But the wind just kept blowing against her.

"I should tell Dr. Roman to think about switching to sliding doors instead," She muttered through gritted teeth, "Shouldn't be too hard. The main entrance and even my room has one so-"

"Woah! Master, what are you doing out here?" Before she could even turn around, she felt a warm hand on hers. Someone was standing behind her, shielding her from the elements with a long green cloak flapping around them. "Get inside for now, I'll take care of this."

"Ah, okay!" Nodding, she went back inside and turned to see Robin Hood start to close the door behind them. "Wow. You made that look easy."

"Well, I am a Servant after all. If I couldn't manage to shut a single door, I don't think I'd be much use to you now would I Master?" He shrugged. Then looking into her face he asked, "So? What were you doing there?"

Ritsuka smiled and stepped closer to him. "Funny you should ask. Since that's the exact question I had for you?"

"Hm?"

"I saw you go outside and I got curious about it."

"Ah..." Robin ran his fingers through his hair and summarized, "Meaning... You saw me go out there and just willy-nilly followed me, into the freezing cold, just to see what I was doing."

"Mm-hm." She nodded.

"I see." With just a slight twitch of his brow, Robin reached out and grabbed both of her cheeks. Tugging at them.

"Owh! Owh owh owh!! Hagh aghually hughs Rhohin!!" (Ow! Ow ow ow! That actually hurts Robin!)

"Of course, since that's the entire purpose of it. Just what kind of Master puts themselves at risk like that for no good reason? You could have just called out to me or waited for me to come back if you were that curious. But to think that you'd do that without even taking a jacket with you..."

"Ow!" Finally released from her mini-torture, Ritsuka massaged her aching cheeks. "You don't need to get so angry about that. It was only for like 2 seconds."

"About two seconds before the wind blew you off the rails you mean."

"So? In the end, what were you doing there?" She looked down at his hands. His fingers were quite cold already, though he should have only been out there for a few minutes until he came back to find her.

"Uh... Well. Just taking a fresh breath of air. It gets kind of stuffy seein' the same faces over and over again. Especially since more than half of them are just stiff heroes who don't seem to know how to take things easy."

"That sounds like an awfully flimsy excuse Robin, you'll have to do better than that." She replied back, a hint of playfulness in her voice. She had long learnt that it was better to tread lightly if she wanted answers from him. If she put on a serious face or if the mood got too serious, he put a greater distance between them. Both literally and figuratively. Then noticing something she continued, "Hm? I think I smell something."

"Wha-" He flinched back slightly, more in surprise than anything else, when Ritsuka suddenly grabbed a hold of his cloak and sniffed it.

"Robin."

"Yeees..?" He was looking up and away from her with an expression that screamed 'shoot-I've-been-caught-haven't-I'?

"Did you go outside to... Smoke?"

He scratched his cheek. Still looking away from her. The silence was pretty much an admission of guilt.

Ritsuka frowned, letting go of his cloak. "You don't need to do that. I mean, it would be bad to smoke near the medical center or near any flammables but you don't need to go all the way outside for it."

"Guess not." He shrugged.

"Robin..." She looked at him suspiciously, his nonchalant answer neither denying nor confirming anything. "I mean it, you can smoke indoors. Unless... Did someone complain to you about it?"

She didn't think that he was the type to really take every little comment to heart, but it was as good a guess as any. And judging from his hesitation, she had a feeling that she was right. Mash and Dr. Roman were unlikely candidates... But that left all the other Servants in Chaldea. Was it just multiple complaints over time? Or did one of them say something particularly mean that stung him? Something... She knew that she couldn't force everyone to get along, but she didn't want anyone to fight or hurt one another.

"Master, hey, Master?" Robin waved his fingers in front of her, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I dunno what you're thinking about with such a serious expression, but it's really no big deal. I wouldn't do anything that I find particularly annoying or troublesome to do because someone said something. You should know that pretty well by now don't you think?"

"I guess." She smiled back at him.

"Good good. As I thought, a smile suits you a lot better than that sort of serious expression." He smiled back at her. "You have to be careful you know. Otherwise you'll get permanent wrinkles between your brows."

"Would that be such a bad thing? Maybe if I looked a little older and more serious, certain Servants might take me a little more seriously." She joked back, gesturing to him as she mentioned 'certain Servants'.

"Who? Me? I'm always taking you seriously Master."

At some point, they both leaned against the wall and made small talk. Just idle, unimportant chatter. Things like what they thought of the curry from the day before, if anything interested had happened lately... They were standing side by side, facing forward without actually looking out the window.

A part of her wondered if she could scoot just a little closer to him. Maybe not enough to actually touch shoulder-to-shoulder, but just a little... Closer? But why? Was there a purpose to it? They weren't so far away that it felt awkward or made it difficult to hear. It was probably just the right amount of distance. Just enough that neither of them were invading any personal spaces but...

She looked at Robin, and noticing this he too turned to look at her. Feeling a slight blush creep to her cheeks she asked, "U-Um... Are you still cold?"

"Hm? Nope. Warmed right up as soon as we got inside." After a small pause he held his hand out to her and asked, "Did you want to check?"

"Uh... Sure?" Ritsuka gently placed her hand over his. He didn't have the fingerless glove on his left, so their hands were making direct contact. His hand was much bigger than hers and his long fingers had hard callouses over them. He was warm. The chill she had felt from before had disappeared completely and replaced with his natural body temperature. She-

"Senpai?"

"WAAAAGH!!!" Much to everyone's surprise, Ritsuka jumped up with a rather loud shout and instantly drew her hand away. She turned to see Mash staring back at her from just a small distance away.

"I'm sorry Senpai, I didn't mean you surprise you." Then looking at Robin she said, "I hope I was not interrupting anything."

"No, not at all. I was just bored and Master said she could keep me company for a bit."

Ritsuka took some deep breaths to calm herself down, feeling like she could still hear her heart pulsing in her ears. "R-Right... Did you need anything from me Mash?"

"It's about time for dinner Senpai. I went to fetch you from your room, but I didn't see you there."

"Oh, already? Yes, let's go and eat then. What about you Robin?"

The Archer leaned back against the wall and just waved them off. "I'm not all too hungry right now. I'll go there when I feel like it."

"Okay." Nodding, she and Mash began to walk down the hall. Just before they turned the corner though, Ritsuka paused to tell him, "By the way! I really don't think a lot of people come down this way so it should be fine. I'll follow you out there as many times as needed if you keep insisting on it!"

"Geeze, I get it! You don't need to shout that down the hall Master!"

Feeling satisfied, Ritsuka continued down the hall with a smile on her face. Mash looked at her curiously for several minutes before finally asking, "Senpai, what were you talking about with Robin Hood?"

"Oh, just everyday things. Like how the curry last night was good, things like that."

"Really..?"

"Hm?" She stopped to look at Mash. The girl didn't just question things without good reason. "Yes, really. Is something wrong?"

"No, just... I had thought that perhaps Robin Hood had said something that troubled you." Ritsuka just stared back at her blankly so Mash clarified, "Your face was extremely red when I found you."

...  
..  
.

When Ritsuka had finally gone out of sight, Robin reached into his pocket and took out a small cigarette. "Geeze. She really does keep herself busy, doesn't she? It's not like a Servant would suffer from a slight chill or anything..." Muttering to himself, he lit the cigarette and took a small drag. Watching the smoke rise up towards the ceiling.

"Doesn't seem like there are any fire alarms nearby either... Guess this is a good a place as any if I can't go outside anymore."

Now alone with his thoughts, his mind wandered back to the memories of how this had all started.

\---  
_[Flashback]_

"Can't you do that elsewhere?" Emiya asked, passing by the other Archer in the cafeteria.

"Hm? This?" Robin waved he lit cigarette in his hand. "It's just a quick after-meal enjoyment of mine. You and I are both adults here, Servants to boot, I don't see any problems here."

"It's one thing to smoke now, but it's not good for our Master."

"Who... Isn't here at the moment." Just in case, Robin glanced around to make sure that she wasn't there.

"Yes, but I have seen you openly smoking that cigarette in the past. Regardless of who was around. I'll remind you that second-hand smoke is far more harmful than it is for the one that's actually breathing the smoke in first, through a filter. While Servants won't suffer from some impurities in the lungs, our young Master is a normal human. She may not complain but-"

"Geeze! I get it, I get it! At least keep your lectures short. I thought my ears would fall off." With a sigh, he crushed the cigarette into an empty can (no one had thought to stock any ashtrays in Chaldea after all) and tossed it into the trash.

"My lectures are usually short. I wouldn't need to get so long-winded if you listened to me the first time around."

"Yes yes, I'll take this one to heart so you don't need to worry about it anymore."

Not having any more business left in the cafeteria, he left and watched with a wry smile as Emiya began to pick up various dirty dishes and plates left on the tables. None of them were his, and no one had asked him to do any chores but the red Archer had a habit of cleaning things up before leaving. _'A busy-body as always.'_ He thought.

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Emiya did have a point. At first he hadn't given it much thought since he assumed that Ritsuka would take other servants along when she needed them, but she was always quite insistent on bringing him to their wild adventures. Since then he had made a conscious effort not to smoke in front of her. Long before the Archer in red started to lecture him about it.

"Well I guess the number of Servants in the form of children are increasing too," He mused, "Not like they'd really face any harm, but it does feel odd to be smoking around them."

It would have probably been best to quit completely... But he hadn't kicked the habit in his previous life and he didn't really feel like starting now. Not when there were so few things to enjoy and do around them. The headquarters being the only structure around in the land of ice and snow.

"Guess I'll take it outside. Even he shouldn't be able to complain about that."  
_[End Flashback]_  
\---

Robin chuckled a bit. "Well, if the Archer in red catches me here... I'll just tell him: Master's orders."


	2. Valentine's Day - Chocolates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #### A holiday that's usually torture for singles.
> 
> Scene Involves: Just light teasing. The only dark and delicious things here are chocolates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler alert on Astolfo (Rider) if you don't have this servant on FGO and/or haven't finished watching Fate/Apocrypha. The spoiler is literally in the first few sentences of this chapter. Thou hast been warned.

Ritsuka stared at him, dumbfounded. "Um... Astolfo?"

"Hm hm hm hmm~! Yes Master?" If the pink-haired Rider (♂) actually noticed how confused she looked, he was ignoring it. Yes. Though he was undoubtedly cute and had an incredibly delicate-looking stature for a Servant, HE was undoubtedly a male. Jeanne had made sure to warn her about his true gender when she noticed that he had been summoned.

"Isn't this backwards?" She asked, looking down at the small package he had thrown into her arms. A small box of chocolate. Undoubtedly handmade.

"What is? Valentine's Day is a day where we give chocolate to people we really like? So~ of course I needed to give some to you Master!"

"Well... Usually it's the girl that gives chocolates to guys."

"Tsk tsk tsk, you shouldn't get hung up on such small stuff Master. Besides! In most English-speaking countries, it is common for guys to give stuff to girls instead as well! In short: All you need to do is to accept these chocolates filled with all my feelings and appreciation for you Master!"

Ritsuka couldn't help but laugh. His enthusiasm and happy mood was certainly infectious. "Well, in that case... I hope you don't mind that I have a little something for you as well."

"GASP!!!" He actually said the word aloud along with a sharp intake of his breath. "Could it possible be..?!"

She smiled, holding out a small red box herself. "Ta-da! I have chocolates for you too."

"YESSS!!! Look everyone!!! I got chocolates from Master!!!! On Valentine's Day!!!" Although the hallway was quite empty, Astolfo shouted out his glee like he intended for his voice to carry over a large audience. "Although..."

He stared rather suspiciously at the basket hanging from Ritsuka's arm. Laden heavily with identical-looking red boxes. "Did you make some for all the male Servants, Master?"

Ritsuka scratched her cheek, feeling a little embarrassed. "Yes... Everyone's always doing their best to help a newbie Master like me, so I wanted to do a little something for them."

"I see, I see. Though it is a little sad that I am only one in a dozen, or several dozens really..." Astolfo put a big smile on his face and pointed at his box of chocolates. "These are still handmade, right?"

She nodded. Astolfo quickly wrapped her up into a tight hug and gave her a squeeze before jumping off of her. "Then it's all okay! Thanks Master!"

"I'm glad. Thank you for the chocolates as well Astolfo, I'll eat them as soon as I'm done handing these out."

"Yes! And do let me know how they are. I kind of messed up here and there when I was trying to make them... But I made sure to pick out only the successful ones to put into the box!" He started to run down the hall, when he seemed to remember something and skidded to a stop. "Oh, say Master? Would you like me to go around delivering some of the chocolates for you? You seem to have a lot there."

"No, I think it's important for me to give them all in person. But thank you!"

Astolfo nodded in approval. "I see. As troublesome as that sounds, I can honestly respect you for that sort of thing Master. Good luck!!! And thanks again for the chocolates!!!"

...  
..  
.

Ritsuka sighed in relief, looking down at the nearly-empty basket in her arms. It was great to see everyone looking so happy to receive chocolates from her, but there were a lot of servants in Chaldea and a lot of them liked to wander around as they pleased. She was mildly surprised to receive several chocolates herself from the female Servants, but was also genuinely happy that they had been thinking about her.

A part of her did, however, wonder how many boxes of ingredients they must have ordered to celebrate the holiday.

"Now for the last one." She had thought it would be easy enough to find him, especially with all the wandering around she had done throughout the day, but for some reason Robin was nowhere in sight.

Eventually, the search ended up turning into a mission of sorts. The more difficult it was to track him down, the more determined she got to find him. "Da Vinci! Oh, and Dr. Roman. Hello again."

"Oh, hi again Ritsuka." They greeted in unison.

Dr. Roman added, "The chocolate was great by the way, already finished it!"

Nodding in agreement, Da Vinci asked, "Was there anything you wanted help with? I've already received chocolates from you as well, and I doubt that you're here to give me more."

"Ah, about that. I was wondering if either of you knew where Robin was."

"Aah... I see. I did tell that troublemaker to stay put for a while, but I see that he refused to listen to my wisdom." Da Vinci sighed, shaking her(?) head.

"So, does that mean you know where he went?"

Da Vinci nodded, then gestured for Dr. Roman to take over. He cleared his throat and answered, "He's-"

...  
..  
.

"Robin! I finally caught up to you!"

The Archer sighed, "I must say Master, you seem to have a knack for keeping me on my toes. Even now, you still find ways to catch me by surprise. When the good doc suddenly contacted me saying that you were coming over, I half thought he was joking."

"Hm? How come?"

"Well it's not like I'm here to save the Earth or anything. Just a minor trip for my own benefit. I didn't think you'd be interested in rayshifting all the way here to accompany me for something like that."

She did have another agenda in mind, but she said, "It's nice to get out and do something different. I don't only want to be with you all in an impending crisis you know."

"Hmm. Well, I'm almost done setting things up here so it shouldn't be much trouble from here on."

As Robin promised, there was hardly even a fight. Some disorganized mountain bandits were no match for a Servant, especially one that specialized in sabotaging armies before the battles could even start. Most of them were caught helplessly by the various traps he set up for them, and the few stragglers that made it down were quickly picked off with his arrows. Within just a few hours, the bandits were completely subdued.

"Well, that ends that. How are you holding up there Master?"

"Just fine. There really was nothing for me to do here, was there?" She commented.

"Hey now, it's always good to have back-up just in case. And your presence alone helps me plenty." Robin smiled, giving her a few pats on the shoulder. Then looking up he continued, "Probably about time we get back though. I've gotten enough practice, and it's starting to get dark out."

"Oh! Wait, then. Before we get back..." Ritsuka rummaged around and fetched the last box of chocolates she had brought with her. Though... She noticed that the box was slightly warped, and seemed to feel a little different in her hands. She took a peek inside and, unfortunately, her suspicions were confirmed.

"Hm? What's that Master?"

"It's..." She tried not to look too disappointed. Things would have worked out just fine if she had handed the chocolates over to him right away. Instead... She had waited too long and they had melted in the box. Ritsuka forced a smile on her face and explained, "I brought you some chocolates but they're kind of... Ruined."

"... Master?"

"I'll re-make them when we get back. If I hurry, I should still make it in time for today." Nodding, half to herself, she continued, "That's a great plan actually. Even if it's melted, all the ingredients are there so I might be able to salvage it if I pop it into a mold and-"

Robin reached over and picked the box out of her hands. Sitting down on the grass, he opened it up and looked inside. "Ahaha, that really has become a mess hasn't it?"

"I swear that it looked better before." She sighed. Tugging on his cloak she said, "Now let's go back. I just figured out how I'm going to save those chocolates and make them fit to eat."

"There's no need for that Master, just come sit down." He patted the ground beside him. "Trust me."

_'It's not fair to smile like that,'_ She thought, sitting down beside him. _'It's hard to go against anything if you just smile up at me like that. All warm and inviting.'_

Though the chocolates hadn't gone into a completely liquid state, they had lost their original form entirely and looked like a dark clay of sorts. Robin tried poking at the chocolate mass with his fingers and found that he could coat the digits with a bit of gentle pressure. "Ah, perfect. This will do quite nicely."

"What are you planning to do?" She asked, curious despite her suspicions.

"Hmm? What indeed?" He said teasingly, licking the bits off chocolate off his fingers. Then rummaging into his own pockets, he brought out a small sac. "I like to be prepared, and thought these might go well with the melting chocolates."

"?" Seeing her confused expression, Robin just gestured for her to hold out her hands. He dumped the contents of the sack into her open palms, revealing an assortment of dried berries and nuts. Ritsuka laughed, "You carry around... Trail mix?"

"I prefer the term 'emergency rations'. But yes, I suppose you can call them that."

They mixed the nuts and berries into the melting chocolate, creating rather delicious but messy clumps to share between them. Of course, Ritsuka had first insisted that Robin should finish them all since the chocolate was originally for him... But he managed to convince her to share the treats together.

"This is rather nice, don't you think?" He commented, looking up once more. "Just relaxing, eating some delicious chocolates under the night sky."

"Mm-hmm. It really is."

A small silence fell between them, until Robin finally broke it. "So... The chocolates. It's for Valentine's Day, isn't it?"

"Oh? You mean you knew?"

He chuckled, "Of course I did. The female servants were fighting it out in the cafeteria kitchens all night long. Looked more like a war zone more than anything else, but I could smell the chocolate." Then with a more serious expression he added, "By the way... I would uh... Avoid the ones made by the ladies with horns growing out of their heads."

Kiyohime and Elizabeth Bathory instantly came to mind as she asked, "Why not?"

"To put it gently... I have a high suspicion that anyone that eats those chocolates would suffer greatly from my Noble Phantasm[1]. Though, that's also if they manage to survive the actual chocolates themselves."

Ritsuka laughed, "That's putting it... Gently?"

"Hmm, yes. You would not want to know what I saw them put into them, that is for sure." Looking at Ritsuka, he commented, "Master, you have a little..."

"Hm? A little what?"

He stared at her, seeming to ponder over something. Then, with a rather mischievous smile on his face he said, "There's a bit of chocolate on your face."

"Where..?" She tried wiping her cheek, but nothing came up.

"Not there, here."

Ritsuka froze. Robin leaned in close, their faces far closer together than she could ever recall. She held her breath, feeling a hand under her chin as he drew even closer still and... Licked her other cheek. Only about an inch away from the corner of her lips.

He chuckled, "Since it was Valentine's Day and all, I figured it would be interesting to add a bit of a 'heart-throbbing event' of sorts. Well? Did it work Master? Perhaps you actually wanted me to ki-" He stopped as soon as he actually caught sight of Ritsuka's expression.

"Um... Master?" A little worried, he waved his hand in front of her. She seemed completely frozen in place. Her expression caught in a stiff smile, her eyes looking rather unfocused, and her face was bright, tomato-red in colour. "Master..?"

"Ahahahahaha!" Suddenly, she burst into a fit of rather creepy laughter.

Becoming extremely worried for her now, Robin asked, "Uh, Master? Is everything okay? Did you already eat one of Kiyohime's chocolates??"

"Ahaha, I'm fine! I'm perfectly! Just, uh... I need a breather. I'll be right back!!!"

"Wait! Master! It's dangerous to run off in the dark! Come back!"

Ritsuka heard him, but she couldn't stop. She had her face in her hands as she weaved around the trees, feeling how hot her own skin felt. She had actually thought he was going to kiss her. She could still see his face drawing closer and closer to her, fresh in her memories. The way the tip of his tongue had grazed over her cheek, like a cat lapping up a bit of milk.

She had really thought he was going to kiss her. And she realized that a large part of her... Really didn't dislike the idea of it. In fact, she kind of... Perhaps even hoped... For it..? _'No no no, bad thoughts! Bad!'_ She scolded herself in her thoughts, _'He was just teasing me. Deep breaths! I just need a bit of time, and I'll go right back and have a good laugh over it. I'll say that he really caught me by surprise and... And...'_

"Master!!" Robin grabbed her from behind and hugged her right up against him. She could feel his breath tickle her ear as he sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."

"Um... R-Robin..."

This was bad for her heart. She felt like it had stopped temporarily when he teased her, and now it was beating faster than she could have imagined possible.

"I apologize for surprising you, I didn't think you'd react that strongly. But please don't run out like that again, and never on rough terrain like this in the dark."

"... Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you."

Meanwhile, she began to worry about other things. She dearly hoped that he couldn't hear how fast her heart was going and began to wonder if it was literally possible to die of embarrassment if your heart refused to slow down.

"No, that's alright. You didn't trip or anything right? You didn't brush your leg up against any thorns or the like?"

She shook her head. "You caught up to me almost immediately. I don't think I would've had a chance to injure myself even if I wanted to."

"I see. That's good then." He let out another sigh of relief, making her twitch as his warm breath tickled her ear. This time, he noticed. "Say, Master. Are you by any chance pretty ticklish around the ears?"

"Uh... Am I..?" She felt like the answer was yes, but it wasn't like she had much experience with people trying to tickle her there.

"Hmmmm~."

Uh-oh. She had heard that sort of teasing hum before. On several different occasions really. "Uwah..!" Even though she had tried to brace herself, she couldn't help but cry out a bit when she felt him blow lightly on the back of her ear.

"Now this is no good. I was actually trying to reflect on my actions... How am I supposed to resist teasing you if you give me such interesting reactions?"

"You're probably the only one that thinks it's that amusing," She commented, putting her hands over his arms. Still wrapped around her upper torso. "And it's not fair to tease me when I can't even fight back."

"Oh? You mean you'd have counter-attacks prepared for me?" He laughed. "I can't let go of you now, Master. What if you run off again? Like this, I can tease you without worry that you'll trip over in the dark. I think this is an ideal win-win situation here."

"Win-win? What are the benefits that I get out of this?"

"Why, you get to enjoy my wonderful company and can happily enjoy being teased without risking your safety. If anything, I believe that I might be the one drawing the short end of the stick."

Ritsuka couldn't help but laugh. "You make it sound like it's your duty to tease me."

"But of course. Who else would take on such a troublesome task?" Finally, he loosened his arms and let her step away from him. He quickly gave her a glance over, likely checking for injuries, before nodding to himself. Satisfied. "I'm set to go back if you are Master."

"Good idea. I'll contact Dr. Roman."

Within minutes, they were back at headquarters. Mash was waiting for her and insisted that she retire back to her room to rest up. "It's okay Mash, I didn't even do anything this time around. I'm not even tired."

The Shielder shook her head. "No Senpai, it's getting late and you've been up really late for the last few nights."

"Hm? Has she?" His ears perking up, Robin looked at the two of them with open curiosity.

"She has been staying up making chocolates for everyone. She was worried that she wouldn't be able to make enough in time and kept borrowing the kitchens after everyone else went to bed."

"Mash! Shh! That was a secret!" Ritsuka quickly put her finger on Mash's lips, but it was too late. She peeked over to see Robin's expression... But he seemed as nonchalant as always. His expression unreadable behind his usual light smile.

"I see. Well, it sure is hard being popular isn't it Master?"

Mash nodded. "You've done everything you could to make this an enjoyable holiday for everyone Senpai. Now please go and get some rest."

"Hm... I guess I will." Mash didn't look entirely convinced so she clarified, "I promise Mash. I'm heading straight to my room to rest. So you don't need to look so worried, okay?"

As they began to walk back out into the hall, she turned to look at Robin. "Good night Robin. And Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Master."

\---

"Are you disappointed?" Billy asked.

"Hm? About what?"

Two Archers, Billy the Kid and Robin Hood sat across from one another in the nearly empty cafeteria. The only ones that were there at such a late hour were either looking for a late night snack or just trying to find a way to pass the time. At some point it had become a rather common occurrence for the two of them to meet up to chat and play a game of cards.

"That Master made chocolates for everyone. This is the sort of day where guys get their hopes up after all, thinking they'll receive a special gift from their crush." The blonde lad smiled from behind his hand of cards.

"I think it's rather impressive," Robin replied back, refusing to take the bait. Instead he tossed a few more chips into the pile. "Raise. Making that many chocolates for everyone? That's far too troublesome, I would've never done it if I were in her shoes. Besides, I'll bet most of the Servants here would've wept with joy even if she just gave them a bar of store-bought chocolate."

"Call." Billy tossed in a few more chips to match. "I think it's one of her good points. Going through all that trouble to help us enjoy these holidays. Though, I do think you might want to watch your back for a while Robin."

"Hm? Now why is that?" He lay his cards out on the table, revealing Four of a Kind. Quite a good hand.

Billy revealed his as well. Just a Pair of Jacks. "Rumor has it... You monopolized Master for yourself after she was done handing out all the chocolates."

His brow twitched. Though he had just won, he couldn't feel very happy about such a small victory when he thought of all the looming troubles that awaited him in the near future. "And I suppose... Even if it was just Master tagging along without anything actually happening between us..."

"It wouldn't change the fact that you spent several hours with her. Alone. On Valentine's Day."

Robin let out a groan, massaging his temples. "I see. Thanks for the warning Billy, I owe you one."

"Good luck." Feeling sympathetic, Billy gave his friend a quick pat on the shoulder as he rose up to leave. "Just out of personal curiosity. Really? Nothing happened between the two of you?"

"Hypothetically, would... No." Catching himself, Robin shook his head and replied, "Absolutely nothing happened between us."

The gunner shrugged, an ill-concealed smile playing on his lips. "I suppose that's the only answer you can really give at this point. I'll ask again when the dangerous period has passed."

Once he was alone, Robin sighed and thought back on his actions. Teasing. Possibly bordering on sexual harassment? Hopefully not. He didn't think his Master would really go around telling anyone but... "Hopefully I didn't go too far." He muttered to himself. It was one thing for jealous Servants to be after him, but another if Ritsuka started to avoid him.

"... Either way, I guess it'll be better to lay low for a bit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congrats on finishing chapter 2! Now... Where is this 'mature' stuff that I've labelled these story collections with you may ask? Don't worry. It's coming.
> 
> \--
> 
> [1] - Robin Hood's Noble Phantasm - Yew Bow. For any that are not aware of the specifics, his Noble Phantasm takes any sort of poison or impurities in the body and amplifies them to the point where it'll actually explode out from within the target.


	3. Excuses, Excuses, Excuses [Very Mature Content]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #### There were a lot of things that they may have wanted... But a lot of steps were also skipped between them.
> 
> Scene Involves: Lemons (aka smut). Some friction in the relationship, darker themes present. Suggestions of self-harm. Not as much sweet fluff or sugar-coating going on here. Maybe there is. Hm...
> 
> I usually write these chapters in Ritsuka's POV with a bit of Robin's sprinkled in, but this chapter in particular is in Robin's POV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I'm not entirely sure where to draw the line between just Mature and Explicit so if anyone thinks this chapter should up the rating for this collection to Explicit, please let me know and the change will be done.
> 
> EDIT: I'm pretty sure the Explicit rating fits better with these lemon scenes. Therefore, the rating has been changed accordingly.

There had been many, many close calls that Robin could think of. Times when it seemed like their entire party would be hopelessly wiped out by a strong enemy. Facing Demon Gods that literally threatened to end all of humanity and doom the Earth to a bleak, barely-existent future. He knew, however, that none of these would come close to the sort of danger he would face if any of the other Servants found him in his current state.

Not even Jeanne's Luminosité Eternelle would be able to save him if anyone caught him. Hugging his Master close to his body, stripped down to her bare skin with only his green cloak wrapped around her to keep her body hidden from view.

In his defense, he was doing everything he could to protect his Master. While the place they were in wasn't as freezing cold as the Antarctic, it was still quite a chilly place and she would have gotten sick if she was just sitting around in wet clothes. Plus, he was using his precious Noble Phantasm to keep her warm as well as to protect... Some semblance of modesty.

He was quite soaked himself, his clothes weighed heavily with sea water, but he wasn't about to strip down himself and make the situation look even worse.

Though... He would have willingly risked any grave misunderstandings if he could. Unfortunately, he couldn't get into contact with anyone back at Chaldea and they appeared to have been separated from all the other Servants.

The entire mission had started off terribly. They were rayshifted onto an abandoned ship in the middle of the ocean. Somehow they were managing to steer the rickety thing towards shore but everything had gone wrong when the pirates attempted to board.

"Seriously... Does no one else think before unleashing their Noble Phantasms?" He muttered angrily, feeling his irritation rise up again at the memory.

Pirates. There weren't even that many of them to begin with, but several Servants had decided to unleash a rather devastating combo of their Noble Phantasms at once. It certainly got rid of all the enemies... And also split the entire ship in half. No, several pieces really.

As soon as he drifted onto shore, he searched for Ritsuka and found her on the beach just a small distance away. She was breathing just fine and didn't seem to have any external injuries aside from a couple of bruises... But for some reason she had yet to regain consciousness. Unable to find anyone else and seeing dark clouds gathering overhead, he took them into a cave for shelter and...

There he was. Cradling his unconscious Master in his arms.

He wanted to start a fire, but he couldn't bear to leave her to look for materials. Not when he didn't even know if she would be able to regain consciousness on her own. It was only at times like this that he envied those of the Caster class. Even if they didn't know what was wrong with her, they could have attempted to heal her with their spells.

"Master, c'mon... You're not the type to lose to a bit of trouble like this. Please wake up."

He placed his hand gently on her neck, his middle and index finger feeling the steady pulse from her vein. Breathing, good. Heart rate, normal. No fever to speak of, yet. No broken bones. Just a few bruises here and there with no signs of internal bleeding... Unless... He ran his fingers through her wet, red locks. No bumps on her head either. As far as he could tell she didn't seem to have hit her head...

"Nngh..."

"Hey, Master! Can you hear me?" A mixture of relief and new worries rose up inside of him as she finally stirred.

"Robin?" Her eyes fluttered open too, looking dazed for a second before they focused properly and met his gaze.

He finally dared to let out a sigh of relief, hiding his worries behind a mask a reassuring smile. "There we go, finally awake. Are you feeling nauseous at all? Any pain?"

"Not in particular..." She began, looking around. Then, her cheeks and ears started to show a bright red tinge as she asked, "Uh... Robin. Where... Are my clothes..?"

Well, he had seen that coming. He was just thankful that she was the type to ask first instead of starting out with slapping and screaming. "Over there. I didn't want you to catch a cold so... Uh, my cloak isn't completely dry either but it's probably warmer than your soaked uniform. And let's see..." After a small, awkward silence he quickly added, "I did my best not to look. Really."

Actually, he kind of felt her up while checking for injuries but... Hopefully she believed him?

Clearing his throat he asked, "Are you sure you're okay? You were out for a while."

"Yes, really. If anything... I'm just running a little low on magical energy[1]." She wrapped the cloak around her a little tighter, shifting uncomfortably. Looking at him she asked, "What about you? Are you okay?"

He nodded, "Completely unscathed. I think the universe is finally rewarding me for my good behaviour so far."

"And... Everyone else?"

Another question he had expected, but also dreaded. He swallowed back his own worries and shrugged, continuing to smile back at her. "All over the place, I'd imagine. But seeing as I managed to get through this just fine, I'm sure they're all okay. You don't exactly get hailed as a hero if you lose to something as common as the sea."

"... I see. That's true."

Robin sighed. She didn't look entirely convinced, but she probably knew that there was nothing he could do about it and decided not to trouble him further. He was doing the same thing as she was and putting on a brave face to keep her from worrying but... "Really. I'm sure they're already up and about, looking for you. Probably running around like lost ducks, calling out and searching for you in the most inefficient way possible."

She finally laughed. That was good. He felt a bit better too, having successfully lifted the heavy mood that tried to settle into the cave.

"Now then... If possible I'd like to gather some materials to get a fire started here. Do you think you'll be fine for a few minutes on your own?"

Ritsuka pouted. "Of course I am. I told you, I'm fine."

Laughing, he patted her on the head. "I see, good. What a brave little Master you are~."

"Robin... Are you treating me like a little kid right now?"

"Hmm~ maybe?" With that, he got up and walked up to the mouth of the cave. It had started to rain, but that wouldn't be much trouble for him. If anything, rainwater was probably better for him and his clothes than all the saltwater he had soaked up. "I'll be right back Master, just sit tight."

...  
..  
.

It wasn't easy to find any dry pieces of wood, but he managed to make do with what he could find and got a decent fire going.

"At any rate... I never thought that my arrows would get used like this." Ritsuka's clothes were pinned to one wall of the cave, literally bolted in place with the arrows from his crossbow. It was a... Rather unusual but effective way of hanging her clothes to dry. But it also looked rather unnerving to see her familiar uniform being pinned up by arrows. "The damage is already done but... Are you sure you're okay with this Master? You've got holes in your clothes now."

"It'll be fine," She replied, "Small holes like that should be quite easy to mend."

Then staring at him she asked, "More importantly, why are you sitting so far away?"

"Hm? Well..." Now that the initial crisis was dealt with, he couldn't just sit right next to Ritsuka knowing that she had nothing else on under his cloak. She was leaned up against the wall by the fire and warming herself up while he remained closer to the mouth of the cave. "I should keep an eye out for any potential dangers."

Frowning, she said, "But you're completely soaked too. You should come closer to the fire."

"Servants don't get colds, Master. There's nothing to worry about."

"..." She fell silent. Looking at her, Robin felt rather conflicted. Somehow the sight of her watching the flames, just wrapped up in the dark green cloak seemed so... Lonely.

 _'I'm really not the right person for this sort of thing...'_ He thought, sighing as he ran his fingers through his hair. "If you insist, Master."

Walking back, he sat next to her and added another piece of damp wood to the flames. He had half expected her to blush when he actually got closer again, but her face was actually looking a little pale. "It would probably be better if you sit up a bit Master, you'll warm up faster."

"Hm? That's true." Ritsuka lifted herself up, but he could see a slight, unnatural sway in her movements. Reflexively, his hands shot out and hovered by her side in case she fell.

"Master... Are you really just low on magical energy? You seem rather unsteady."

"Really." Looking back at him she explained, "It's one thing to slowly use up magical energy, but I kind of overdid it back at the ship and used it all at once so... Oh! Right, I remember that Dr. Roman said that using up all your magical energy at once can make you feel like you're anemic. So it's similar to that."

"And how long does it take to... Uh, recharge?"

Ritsuka laughed. "To be honest I'm not too sure. It probably depends from person to person, but I don't actually know how long I take. If I ever ran too low, Dr. Roman would help me get more magical energy in the medical ward."

"Hmm..." It was not a field he was all too familiar with. Being a Servant and all he did have more knowledge on Magecraft than most would expect from a simple bowman, but it wasn't all that easy for him to wrap his head around everything. And well, he wasn't about to ask people like Da Vinci or Anderson to teach him about it. Apparently Emiya was quite familiar with the basic principles too but... No. That would never be an option. "Well, what did the good doctor usually prescribe? Ideally if you could recall anything we could do now to help the process along, that'd be best."

"He usually had a lot of equipment that would help collect magical energy within Chaldea and have me lie down in a pod-like bed to transfer it, but I don't even have the faintest guess as to how those are made. Aside from that, um...."

She made this thoughtful hum like she was still trying to jog her memory, but he noticed a slight shift in her expression. "Did you remember something?"

"Hm?!" Ritsuka twitched, suddenly turning her gaze off to the side. "Uh... Ahaha... J-Just a little something. I don't think it'd be very helpful... No... It's not exactly... Efficient or very.... Popular these days so......" Her voice grew quieter and quieter as she went on so he really had to concentrate to hear. She wasn't being very clear or open about her thoughts though, so his efforts to listen went rather unrewarded.

"Master... You're making me all the more curious about the whole thing. Please just tell me already."

Her cheeks were bright red by now, the colour spreading to the tip of her ears. It was an amusing sight, but not really in line with his priorities at the moment. "Long story short, I will recover with time. That... Yes, that is probably best."

He narrowed his eyes. "Master... I know you thought of something."

She made a rather uncomfortable noise and tugged his cloak up to cover the lower half of her face. Ritsuka's eyes kept darting back and forth between the floor of the cave to his face, over and over again before she finally whispered, "... Do you really want to know..?"

He nodded.

"... Magical energy tends to collect well in fluids." He just stared at her. Still confused. "Fluids... Like blood or..."

"....................................."

The gears in his brain finally pieced everything together. "Oh." His eyes opened wide with surprise. "...... I... See."

Of course, his imagination took him to extremely uncomfortable and inappropriate things that could be used to transfer magical energy... _'Don't tell me... Did she think of the same things? ... Possibly? Maybe? No, wait... Not all fluids are that sort of thing.'_ She did already mention one medium they could use. "So uh..." He cleared his throat, trying not to blush himself. "Blood would work, wouldn't it?"

His response seemed to have caught her by surprise, but she nodded. "Theoretically? At least, that's what I've heard."

"Well, I mean, it could be worth a shot. The sooner you're back on your feet the better so..." He stared down at his hand, wondering how much blood was actually needed. Maybe if she only needed a little, he could use his arrow to make a cut on his palm and-

"Wait wait wait!!" Ritsuka shouted, grabbing his arm. "What were you thinking about just now?"

"Hm? The best place to draw my blood from of course."

Oh. She was angry with him. Extremely angry with him. He hadn't seen such an expression on her face very often, if at all really, but he recognized it on sight. "Are you stupid?!"

"Uh... But, didn't you say that you could get magic from blood..?"

"Just because it's possible doesn't mean you should do it!" She yelled. Tears were beginning to form at the corner of her eyes. Probably from anger, but it troubled him all the same. "I'll recover just fine with rest! Why do you have to go to such extremes?!"

"Well... That's..." Robin searched for an answer, but he couldn't really come up with one. Not one that she would accept. He just didn't want to see her so weak and unlike her usual self. Surely it wasn't that unusual for him to offer, was it? He could think of several Servants that would have probably offered up their life and limb to help her out... "I wasn't going to cut anywhere dangerous. Maybe just a small nick on my hand?"

If anything, she seemed even angrier with his response.

He personally thought that the injuries they got in battle were much worse but... "Well, since it bothers you that much Master, I won't do it. I won't. Okay?"

She let go of his arm and drew back, but her expression didn't loosen up at all.

"... It was a dumb suggestion. Sorry." He reached up to wipe her tears with the back of his finger, but she turned her face away from him. _'Oh dear. Did I really mess up big this time around?'_ He wondered, trying not to take the rejection too harshly.

Ritsuka, still facing away from him, wiped her tears away as she asked, "So... If you think it's fine to hurt yourself for this sort of thing, I guess another option should be easy for you. Right?"

"Uh... That would depend-"

"Right?" He felt like he was walking right into a trap. One that wasn't even particularly being concealed from view but... The edge in her voice clearly suggested that she wasn't looking for an actual opinion.

"Yes... I suppose so." Robin replied, sighing deeply. Trying to figure out where she was going with this.

"Then. Kiss me."

"............."

A very, very uncomfortable silence filled the air. It took him a few moments to even process those few words. Then several minutes to mull them over, wondering if his ears had played tricks on him. Then he dared to wait for his Master to tell him that she was joking, or... Well, anything to suggest that she wasn't being serious.

But neither of them were willing to break the silence. He finally began to realize, and begrudgingly accept, that she had meant every word.

"Um... Master..."

"You can transfer magical energy with mouth to mouth contact..." She said, her voice shaking slightly. "But... It's fine. Forget it. I'm sorry I ever brought it up."

"Master... Look this way, please?" Very gently, he placed his hand on Ritsuka's cheek and tried to get her to face him once more.

 _'Oh... Shit. I've really done it now.'_ He realized that he would have much preferred to see her still seething with anger. He had hurt her. Somehow. The disappointment in her eyes were clear as she bit down on her lower lip. Trying not to blink because it would make the tears welling up in her eyes fall down along her cheeks. "... Can you tell me what I did wrong?"

His words seemed to make things worse, but he clarified, "I know. I've done something terrible to upset you, but I honestly can't figure out what it was exactly. I can't reflect on my actions if I don't know what it was, right? So can you please tell me? Please, Master?"

She hesitated, but she began, "... I'm not entirely sure either. But..." Tears began to fall, so he started to wipe them away with his thumb.

"But?"

"The thought that you'd prefer to cut yourself than to kiss me... I... I just felt really miserable thinking that... I feel like a mess... I don't actually think it's your fault, but for some reason I just can't seem to stop myself from crying."

Robin took in a deep breath. "That's not it. That's not it at all Master."

"Hm?"

 _'Don't think too deeply about this,'_ His inner voice warned. _'Anyone would feel hurt being rejected. Don't assume things. Don't read into it any more than necessary.'_ Out loud he whispered, "I don't dislike the idea at all."

"You... Don't?"

He shook his head. "I just didn't want you to regret anything. Whatever the reason behind it... I wasn't sure if it really would be okay for you to kiss a guy like me." Moving his hand, he traced the a line along her bottom lip. Feeling how soft it was against his rough, callous finger. "Are you sure..?"

Ritsuka nodded. The simple action made his heart skip a beat.

Without another word, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Closing his eyes as he slid his hand over to the back of her head. It felt nice. Very soft and warm... He could still smell the familiar scent of her shampoo under the salty scent of the sea.

He drew back, opening his eyes to take a look at her expression. She had stopped crying. Fresh tear streaks were still visible on her rosy cheeks, but he could see a soft smile on her face. "Now that sort of kiss..." He murmured, drawing closer again as he started to curl his fingers into her hair. "Didn't really give you any fluid, right?"

He didn't wait for a reply. He didn't need to. As soon as they kissed a second time, a soft gasp reached his ears. That was all the invitation Robin needed. The kiss deepened. Enough to share breaths. Enough to share more. He could taste her now, and was sure she could taste him in return. When the separated, he could hear her short, heated breaths. Seeming to echo in his ears and head.

"Let me know if you want me to stop Master." He whispered, moving down to brush his lips against her neck. He had both of his arms around her now, his hands moving down along her back. Her skin just beneath the familiar fabric of his own Noble Phantasm... He half expected her to just stay silent, already planning to take a non-answer as a sign that it was fine to continue.

"If you're okay with it... Then please, keep going Robin."

 _'Okay with it?'_ He thought. The Archer had basically received an unexpected green light. He was _more_ than just okay with it. "As my Master desires..." He whispered, smiling as she opened tilted her head back and opened her neck out to him. A moan escaped her lips as he began to suck gently on the skin. _'Never heard her voice like that before...'_

Robin really found that he enjoyed this. Finding out more about his Master, like unwrapping a gift with several layers that revealed a fun and unexpected prize every time. Perhaps this was what he really found amusing about teasing her. Just figuring out how she reacted to him, seeing how he could get her to change her expression.

He loosened the cloak around her. Pulling back again to watch as the green fabric began to slip away. "Robin... It's embarrassing if you stare so much." She said, wrapping her arms around her bare chest. Trying to hide herself from his gaze.

"I want to see. Please?" He gave her a beaming smile, trying to get her to relax more. _'You're trying to seduce her,'_ His inner voice chimed back in, _'And you're doing a terrible job of it. It shouldn't even be working, but it somehow is.'_

Robin spread the cloak out over the hard cave floor, gently lowering his Master down onto it as he hovered over her. She had lowered her arms, slightly, but still didn't seem keen on letting him have a clear view of her naked body. "It's not fair..." She murmured, looking into his eyes. His grin reflected in those clear eyes of hers. "You're still fully clothed, when I'm not."

She had a point. And really, there was a bulge forming between his legs that really wanted him to ditch his attire... Instead he said, "You know that I don't play fair very often."

"I... Don't think this is a battle. You don't need to play dirty right now." She pointed out, unable to stop herself from grinning.

He laughed, "Oh, but Master. It's so much more fun to play dirty." Robin kissed her, letting his hands roam. Her skin felt so smooth under his fingers. Every curve of her body, the way she seemed to jolt slightly as he continued to explore with his touch... She felt incredibly soft. Warm. So alive.

"Mmmph..!" She moaned into his mouth as his fingers dipped in even lower, going between her legs.

She was wet. He could tell the moment his fingers made contact, and he felt terribly tortured by the confines of his own pants. He ended the kiss, finding that his breaths came out in short pants. Just like Ritsuka's. "Master. Last chance to change your mind." He warned. Of course, he didn't want to stop. In all honestly, he felt like nothing short of a Command Spell should be able to keep his lust under control but... He had to check. Just one more time.

"Robin..."

"Yes?"

"Please stop teasing me..." She told him, "I want this. I want... You."

He had not really intended on teasing Ritsuka, but perhaps that's how she had perceived it. Or... Perhaps foreplay was really just one long teasing session prior to the main event. In which case, he still had a bit of 'teasing' that needed to be done.

Straightening up, he finally discarded his own clothes. He could feel her curious gaze linger as he removed the layers of fabric. "Hm. I see what you mean... Even I feel a bit embarrassed with you staring so much."

"It's only fair." She said, sticking her tongue out at him.

Chuckling, he kissed her on the forehead. Combing her hair back affectionately. "I suppose it is. But remember," He rubbed the tip of his fingers against the sensitive bud between her legs. Making her gasp and twitch under him, the sudden sensation catching her by surprise. "I prefer not to play fair."

He pushed his fingers inside, slowly but insistently. "R-Robin..!" She moaned. A good sign. He pumped his fingers in and out, watching as his Master started with small moans and twitches. Building up to watch her hips begin to shake, a thin layer of sweat beginning to form on her skin. She seemed ready. Which was fortunate, since he wasn't sure how much longer he could wait either.

Robin gently opened her legs wider as he positioned himself. A groan escaped his lips as his cock began to press against her... His breath catching in his throat when he finally entered her. It was so much hotter than he had thought it would be. He felt like he was going to melt inside of her.

Slowly... Inch by inch, he fit more of himself inside. Every so often pulling back, only to push in even deeper. Her inner walls were squeezing around him. Refusing to let him go. _'I don't know how I'm going to last like this.'_ He thought, panting as his cheeks began to glow as well. It was taking all his will to be as slow and gentle as possible. Trying not to just thrust up inside of her as her aroused voice began to echo through the cave.

"I need to start moving," He groaned, looking into Ritsuka's eyes. "Are you doing alright Master?"

She nodded. He kissed her again before placing his hands on her hips, starting to move faster as his cock thrust in and out. One day... He wanted to really find the spots that would make her arch back with pleasure and scream his name. Hopefully. If he even got a chance again. But Robin didn't have the luxury to go around exploring for extra special erogenous zones. He needed this. He couldn't spare a thought towards the uncertain future or showing off whatever experience he had in bed.

At that moment, he was the one joined up with her. He was the one making her moan with pleasure, her fingers starting to dig into his shoulders. It didn't matter how many Servants there were back at home. Who cared if there were probably better candidates out there? There were probably plenty of people that didn't need a flimsy excuse like 'transferring magical energy' to actually make a move. Someone that didn't make her cry before finally working up the courage to kiss her.

Yes, who cared? He didn't. Not right now. Not when his Master was truly _his_ , and his alone right then and there.

He was going faster and faster, trying to get as deep as he could. Gritting his teeth as he tried to hold back the pleasure building up inside of him.

"R-Robin! I can't... I can't hold on much- ah! I can't anymore!!"

"Don't hold back!" He leaned in, growling right next to her ear. "Just come. Just come Master!"

He could feel all of her nails digging into his skin as she climaxed. Clinging to him. He would have liked to see what sort of expression she had on when she hit the peak of ecstasy, but with her walls squeezing so tightly around his cock he found that he couldn't hold on either. Keeping her hips up and against his, he let out a deep-throaty moan as he released inside of her.

For several minutes, neither of them could move. At some point it seemed that it had stopped raining and the only sound they could hear were each others' breaths. As he started to feel his head clear from the orgasmic high, he noticed that Ritsuka was starting to close her eyes.

"Ah, wait! Master! If you fall asleep now-" He cut himself off. It was too late. She had already fallen asleep. 

Sighing, he looked around. The fire was starting to die out, but her clothes seemed dry enough. He was pretty tired himself but... "Can't be helped. We'll have to stay put for a while longer Master." Kissing her forehead, he finally pulled himself out. He felt tempted to just snuggle up next to her and join her in a pleasant-looking nap. If they had been back in Chaldea, he probably would have. But not outside, on some unfamiliar island.

Getting dressed, he tried not to dwell on all those selfish desires that had risen up from inside of him. He had thought he was doing a good job of keeping such emotions under wraps but... Being physically joined with Ritsuka had ended up breaking down the many walls he had placed around his heart.

"Almost drowning at sea, crying 'cause of my carelessness, getting swept away in the passion of things..." He sighed, running his fingers through a lock of her red hair. "You've had a long and busy day, haven't you Master?"

He wasn't entirely sure how she was going to react once she woke up. He wasn't sure how he was going to handle things either. But for now... Robin poked her cheek, smiling at how peaceful she looked in her sleep. "... I can't tell if you're just dense or overly adaptable. How am I supposed to keep myself reigned in after all this?" He ruffled up her hair, purposely getting it as messy as possible. "You'll just have to bear with a few more pranks from now on Master. I'm not mature enough to just bury my frustrations on my own you know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Magical Energy - Translated differently depending on the medium but basically referring to all types of magical energy in this case. Sometimes localized as "prana" instead; referring to both "Mana" (magical energy in the environment, produced by the world) and "Od" (magical energy found within living creatures).


	4. Little Things [Mature Content]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things were still pretty ambiguous between the two of them, but perhaps that was for the best. Many things have changed, and yet their everyday life continues to go on. Just another peaceful day in Chaldea.
> 
> Scene Involves: Fluff and Lemons.

"Robin."

"Yes?"

"..." The green Archer had taken over her bed. That in itself was fine, she was more than happy to lend her room to anyone that wanted to hide there for a bit or take a quick nap. Unfortunately, he was not there for either of those reasons. He was sitting in her room, making sure that she could feel his gaze threatening to bore holes into her skull. "How long are you going to sulk like this?"

"I am not sulking Master. I don't know why you would think that."

"No, you're definitely sulking." Sighing, Ritsuka sat down beside him. In response, Robin flipped himself over so that he was facing the same way as her. His feet danging off the other edge of the bed as he lay there on his stomach. "Does it really matter that much that Emiya won the cooking contest?"

He gave a short grunt. Arms crossed in front of him as he looked off to the side. "Really now. I'm not a child Master. Do you honestly think I'd be brooding over such a minor event? Yes, it was a contest. Of sorts. And yes, he may have won. But being a little more helpful in the kitchen is hardly a skill to be envious about."

She wasn't even sure why they held a cooking contest in the first place. Both of them had refused to elaborate on how they had even reached that point, but a rather heated battle had occurred in the kitchens between the two Archers. Now, most of the residents at Chaldea already knew about Emiya's cooking skills. He didn't seem to like admitting it out loud, but he always seemed to 'reluctantly' agree to cook a meal for someone if they asked him to.

Robin Hood had been a bit of a dark horse in the competition, but despite it being his first time even stepping into the kitchens at Chaldea he had created some rather delicious meals to go up against Emiya's impressive recipes.

Of course, neither of them were willing to admit defeat. Several Servants offered up their own opinions and votes, but they mostly fell on deaf ears.

Apparently, Billy was the one that suggested, "Why don't you just ask Master? She can give the final vote."

Both of them agreed and... Now she was facing the consequences of her fair judgement.

"You could always challenge him again," She said, "It was a really hard decision. I thought your food was really delicious too. I'm sure with a little training, you'll be able to win the next time around?"

"Training... I think I should be focusing on other skills if I had time for that Master."

"Hmph." Putting her fingers on cheeks, Ritsuka forcibly lifted the corners of his mouth up into an awkward smile. "You. Are. Being. Childish. If the result of the contest isn't bothering you, then what is?"

"... Just that smug look on his face, I suppose." He muttered, so quietly that she almost didn't catch his words.

"Who? Emiya?"

Robin nodded, clicking his tongue in irritation. "You should have seen the look on his face when he won Master. The way he sneered at me with his chin pointed high up towards the ceiling... He's definitely no hero. That was the expression of a villain that finished burning down a village."

"Hmmm..." Ritsuka was there and didn't really think the red-cloaked Archer had really gloated all that much. He did look quite pleased about his victory, nodding in satisfaction when she handed down her decision, but that was about it. "At any rate, you two seem to spend a lot of time together."

"What makes you say that?"

"I remember that you two had a hunting contest, a fishing contest... In the last rayshift you guys were counting and comparing the number of enemy soldiers you took down in the middle of the fight..." She hummed thoughtfully, "Could it actually be that you actually spend more time with Emiya than any of the other Servants?"

"What? No!" But after a small pause, Robin covered the lower half of his face as he seemed to think things over. "I... Don't... Think so... At the very least, neither of us really intended for that sort of thing..."

She couldn't help but laugh, listening to his voice falter as he sounded less sure of himself. "There, there. It's not a bad thing to make more friends here." She reached up and pat Robin on the head.

"... Master. Are you making fun of me?"

"Not at all. But you do this for me all the time, and I thought you might benefit from a little encouraging head pat once in a while too."

He sighed, but his usual smile was returning to his face. "Well, I won't stop you if it makes you happy."

"It does. Your hair is really nice and soft." Ritsuka continued to pet him for a bit longer before she withdrew her hand and asked, "Feeling better now?"

He shrugged. "As I said. I was not sulking Master."

She decided to take that as a yes. "I see, that's good then."

"Hmm... But, I could think of something that would really make me happy."

"Oh? What is it?"

"I'd like a consolidation prize." He got up and sat down beside her, placing a hand on her thigh as he leaned in to kiss her. Once, twice. Going deeper as he opened her lips with his and pushed his tongue inside.

"Right now?" She asked, glancing over at the clock. It was still early afternoon.

"Why not now?" Smiling, he massaged small circles into her thighs as he moved his fingers higher up. Going in under her skirt to tease her without actually touching any of her erogenous places.

"Someone might come in... Mash visits my room pretty often." Robin began to nibble on the tip of her ear as her face grew red.

"Then we should probably lock the door."

"... Is it locked?" She asked.

"Doubtful. Unless you locked it at some point without my knowledge."

Ritsuka sighed, "Robin..."

"I'm just teasing Master. I wouldn't actually risk such a thing." Instead of moving away, however, he placed his hands on her hips and lifted her up. Placing her on his lap as he hugged her from behind. "But this much should be fine, right?"

"Mm-hmm..."

She wasn't sure if she would ever grow completely used to so much physical contact. He still managed to make her heart flutter and she couldn't stop herself from blushing, despite all her efforts and determination in trying to seem calm and 'mature' around him. _'It's not a bad feeling...'_ She thought, _'But it's really unfair that I'm the only one that seems flustered all the time.'_

He had gotten rather... Difficult to predict. Robin seemed to have set some ground rules for them to follow in their strange Master-Servant relationship, but he refused to tell her clearly what these rules were. And really, they seemed awfully one-sided.

For example, it was apparently fine for him to sneak into her bedroom at night. But it was not alright for her to do the same.

It was alright to hold hands under a covered table at a meal. It was not okay to walk too close to him during missions.

He thought it was okay to sneak kisses or gently nibble her ear when the other Servants were not looking. It was not acceptable, however, if she wanted to accompany him during his preparations for camp.

It was acceptable to ask him to accompany her to the cafeteria. It was not fine to sit beside him in a carriage.

"What are you thinking about, Master?" He asked, starting to comb his fingers through her hair.

"Hmm..." She was trying to figure out the actual pattern behind his actions, but she decided to focus on one specific example for now. "I was wondering why you panicked when I tried to sneak into your room at night."

"I think that anyone would've been surprised to see you trying to crawl into their bed in the middle of the night."

"You do it all the time though." She pointed out.

"... I call out to you and make sure you're awake before attempting anything."

"Then I'll do the same next time."

He sighed. "Please don't Master. If you don't want to be caught by surprise anymore, I can try to give you a warning earlier in the day before visiting you."

"That's not it," She sighed back, leaning into his chest. "I just want to know why you're so insistent on that. Are you hiding something in your room?"

"Well, I do keep poisons and unfinished contraptions for tra around the room... Could get dangerous to be near those." She narrowed her eyes at him. As logical as that sounded, he had probably only thought of the excuse at that very moment. He withdrew his hand and admitted, "If you really want to know the reason... It's because I'm worried someone will see you on the way there."

"I'm really careful about it." She insisted.

"Yes, but there's a limit to that. What if someone of the Assassin class decided to follow you? Can you confidently say that you'll be able to notice them trailing behind you?"

"But..." She was beginning to lose the battle. He had apparently really thought this through and had a counter-argument ready for everything... "But if you- oh."

Ritsuka blinked. A missing piece of the puzzled had suddenly clicked into place.

"Robin."

"Yes?" He responded, seeming a bit tense as he noticed the shift in her expression.

"Are you by any chance using your Noble Phantasm to see me at night..? The No Face May King?"

"......................... Yes." It seemed oddly agonizing him to admit it, but she had already known the answer before he finally squeezed out his response. For someone that was good at keeping so many things hidden away from her, he had a really tell-tale sign of guilt on his face when she actually caught him.

Ritsuka couldn't help but laugh.

"I-I'm only doing my best to take all the precautions possible..!" He seemed so flustered that she found herself laughing even harder. "Master!"

"Ahahaha, s-sorry. It's just... It's just, Noble Phantasms are like an important symbol representing your legends and everything right? To think you were using them for... Pfft. Night visits is just..." She covered her mouth, trying not to fall into another fit of laughter. Her discovery had been amusing, but the troubled expression on the Archer's face was just the icing on the cake. She could see a slight blush on his cheeks too, a rather rare sight considering how calm and collected he normally was.

He sighed, scratching his cheek. "This is precisely why I didn't want to tell you about it..."

Still smiling, she turned her head to face him and kissed his reddened cheek.

"Is that in place of an apology for laughing at me?" He asked, returning her smile with one of his own.

"Hm? Nope. If I had to say a reason for it then..." She made a thoughtful noise before continuing, "I guess it's because you look really cute right now?"

"Cute..?"

"Yes, cute. Very, very cute." She repeated, her smile widening by another inch.

"I will have you know," He began, his hands wandering around her body. "I prefer to be called handsome. And if you are feeling particularly bold, I wouldn't object to being called sexy."

"What's wrong with cute?" Her breathing began to quicken again as his hands cupped her breasts and began to squeeze in a very obvious and deliberate manner.

"There's nothing wrong with the term itself, if used correctly. Rabbits hopping about in the woods are cute. Little ducklings are cute. And as for my lovely Master that puts up with all my teasing... She is simply adorable."

She let out a groan, half in pleasure and half in annoyance. Even under her clothes, her nipples were beginning to grow hard under his fingers and he was beginning to pay extra attention to them. Rubbing and pinching them between his index finger and thumb as he continued to play with her breasts. "Robin..."

"Yes~?"

"Let's lock the door."

"Hm? Are you sure?" Even without turning to see him, she could tell that he was smirking. Probably grinning from ear to ear like the cat that got the cream. "It is pretty early. I wouldn't mind retiring for now and continuing this later. Tonight."

"Robin..."

"As my Master commands." He lifted her up and gently placed her back down on the edge of the bed. Whispering into her ear he told her, "Can you undress yourself for me? I promise not to tease you as much if you do."

Without waiting for a response, he slipped away from her and slowly made his way to the door. Whistling faintly with his back to her.

Ritsuka sighed, realizing that he had gotten her wrapped up in his pace again. One by one, her clothes were left discarded on the floor as she undressed herself. By the time Robin actually turned around and locked the door, she was sitting with her arms crossed in front of her and her legs closed tightly as she continued to sit at the edge of the bed.

He let out a laugh. "Is there really anything to feel embarrassed about at this point?"

"I know that... In my head. But I can't seem to help it." She murmured, aware that her cheeks were glowing red with embarrassment.

"Hm. Now see, this is why I just can't stop teasing you. If you give me such rewarding responses all the time, I'll never be able to resist."

"Just wait... One of these days, I'll be the one doing all the teasing."

"I shall look forward to it." Walking back, Robin began to strip down as well. Leaving a trail of his clothes behind him as more and more of his lean and fit form was revealed to her. As a heroic spirit, he could easily make his clothes vanish by willing them to... But he never did. Always preferring to take them off himself or encouraging her to do it in his place. This sort of... Strip show, however, was something new.

And well, it was incredibly effective. She felt like she could die of embarrassment from all the blood rushing up to her head, but there really was something erotically sexy about watching the fabric slip away to reveal more and more of his lean, toned body.

Catching her expression, which was a very funny mixture of utter embarrassment and fascination, he commented, "If you told me that you liked this sort of thing, I would've been more than happy to do this more often."

"N-No! I mean, uh, it's... There's no need to go out of your way. Not that I don't like it. O-or, wait... I mean, uh..." She felt like her brain had cracked open. Meaningless words just spilling out of her mouth as she tried to gather her bearings.

"You can be honest with your desires when you're with me Master." He peppered her neck with kisses, using his hand to gently coax her into arching her back. Pushing her chest towards him. "It's cute to see you embarrassed... But I'll bet you'll be incredibly sexy when you're being indulgent."

"Do you prefer sexy women over cute ones?" She asked, genuinely curious to know.

"Hm... Now that is hard to say. Especially since my type is a young redhead with both qualities."

His tongue swirled around her nipple a few times before he finally brought the hardened bud into his mouth. Sucking on it gently as his fingers pinched and played with the other nipple. Her voice rose up, moans and gasps starting to echo through the room as she closed her eyes. Focusing her senses on his touches. His mouth and hands switched, giving each breast the same attention as the other.

Then she felt his tongue trailing down to her navel. Shivers ran up her spine as he continued down even lower. His hands were on her inner thighs now, pushing her legs open as he went even further down. His breath on her wet lower lips. Opening her eyes again, she looked down to see him down on his knees. His tongue running over his lower lips as he stared up at her mischievously.

"Don't stare so much..."

"But I want to see," He replied. "And you usually make me turn the lights off at night, so having a clear view like this is actually an unusual treat."

Her eyes widened as she realized, rather late, why she had been staring at him with such fascination as he took off his clothes. In reality, she had never really looked at him properly. She had felt his gaze on her bare skin many times before and she also found herself unable to keep her eyes off of him... But it had usually been under dim light. Their first time was in a cave with only a flickering fire. After she always turned the lights off in her room, sharing her bed with him with only the glow of some nearby machinery to guide their visions.

"Oh? You twitched just now. Were you recalling the things we've done up until now? Or perhaps, you were imagining the things that we're about to do?"

He didn't wait for a response. Ritsuka reached out and held onto Robin's head as she felt his tongue plunge inside. "Robin..!" Her fingers tangled into his locks as she felt his tongue move around inside, the occasional slurp being heard as he drank the lewd fluids she kept producing between her legs. She couldn't stop herself from squirming, but kept a firm hold of her and continued to pleasure her without interruption.

It didn't take very long for her to go over the edge. She didn't even have the composure to warn him before she found herself screaming in pleasure, her head thrown back as her grip tightened around his head. She was vaguely aware of the Archer pulling back as she collapsed back onto the bed, the sound of her own heartbeat and breathing echoing in her ears.

"You can keep going, right Master?" He asked.

She breathed out, "Y-Yes..." In reality, she wasn't entirely certain. Ritsuka felt like every nerve in her body had been exposed raw. Making her feel incredibly sensitive to every little sensation and movement. _'If he goes inside of me right now...'_ She gasped as the mere thought made her twitch. _'I can't think clearly. Is it possible to go crazy from pleasure..?'_

As she tried to gather her bearings, Robin had already hooked his hands under her knees and got into position. He licked his lips as he gazed down at her, small beads of sweat rolling down her flushed skin as she stared up at the ceiling in a feverish daze...

"Ngh, ah!!!" Her moans came out the instant she felt him press into her. His entry was smooth. She was already soaking wet and had grown accustomed to him over the repeated nightly visits. As soon as he got most of his length inside, however, they were both surprised by the sudden death-grip her inner walls made around his cock. Her hips lifted of their own accord and her mouth hung open in a silent scream.

Robin gritted his teeth and swore under his breath, waiting until he felt some of the pressure lift. "Master... Did you just come again?"

She could only manage a small, embarrassed groan in response. Yes, she had actually come a second time just from feeling him enter inside of her. It was the first time that such a thing had happened.

"Let me know if you feel like you can't take anymore, Master." Feeling her relax enough for him to move again, he started with slow but hard thrusts. Her body twitching visibly with each thrust that pressed deep inside of her. "Though... Judging from your expression, I'd guess that you're still more than happy for more."

Ritsuka wondered what sort of expression she was actually making, but she didn't have to composure to try to fix her appearance. His slow and deliberate thrusts felt good. So did his faster thrusts as he began to pick up his pace, the bed creaking loudly beneath them. By the time Robin finally came, releasing deep inside of her, she had gone through several more mini-orgasms. No more mindless, giant waves of pleasure but small bursts that still made her moan out his name.

Too tired to even pull the blanket out from under them, the two of them chose to collapse down onto the bed. Side by side, limbs still tangled together as they shared soft kisses in the afterglow.

"Are you feeling alright Master? I didn't overdo it, did I?" He asked. 

"Mmm... I'm fine." She answered, chuckling as she commented, "You always check to see if I'm okay after. Do I really seem that delicate?"

"Compared to all the Servants around here, any and all humans would seem delicate." He said, giving her a vague response that didn't actually affirm or deny her question.

"Hey, Robin?"

"Hm?"

She looked up into his clear green eyes. Though she loved to stare into them and admire how pretty they were, she was never really able to hold eye contact for very long. She was too self-conscious of her own emotions to maintain prolonged eye contact. _'I love you. I love you very much Robin Hood.'_ Ritsuka thought. Words that she always wanted to convey to him, but never did. Instead she asked, "Can you stay? I want to stay like this a little longer."

"Of course, Master." She felt his lips on her forehead. "We'll stay like this for as long as you wish."

One day she wanted to verbalize just how important and special he really was to her... But for now, she was fine with this. "So... Do you feel a bit better now?"

"Hm?" Robin raised a brow, unsure of what she was referring to.

"It's fine." She smiled, burying her face into his chest so he couldn't see. If he couldn't recall the sulky mood that had led him into her room in the first place, her own mission had been a success. For now, she just wanted to see him continue to enjoy himself as much as he could in Chaldea.

**Author's Note:**

> Sweet, congratulations on reading to the very end (so far)! This is actually the first work I've posted here, so that always comes with a bit of giddy nervousness. More to come soon.


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